Brian O’Driscoll defends Johnny Sexton after Eddie Jones claims

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his argument is that why is PA paying to send reporters places if they are going to lift quotes

Owen Farrell engenders “less sympathy” than Johnny Sexton because he gives out as much physicality as he receives, believes Brian O’Driscoll.

Ex-Ireland captain O’Driscoll has defended Sexton against England boss Eddie Jones’ latest criticism of the Leinster and British and Irish Lions fly-half.

England head coach Jones this week suggested Ireland star Sexton receives more protection over late tackles from referees than Saracens playmaker Farrell.

Johnny Sexton, pictured, has been backed by Brian O’Driscoll after comments from Eddie Jones (Paul Harding/PA)

O’Driscoll believes Jones raised the issue mainly as a tactic to divert attention away from full scrutiny on England’s clash with New Zealand at Twickenham on Saturday – but also then revealed he thinks Farrell is every bit as physical as anyone else in the Test arena.

“It’s throw the banger over in that direction to take attention away from what is the mainstay point,” said O’Driscoll.

“Here we are talking about it, rather than the actual point, which is who’s going to win the match.

“It’s a side plot to the bigger theme of what’s more important, the game on Saturday.

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“Do I think Johnny Sexton’s more protected than Owen Farrell? Farrell throws it around a lot more than Johnny Sexton, so maybe from that perspective there’s less sympathy when he cops a late one, because he’s prone to the odd loose one himself, as the end of the South Africa game showed.”